Technical Paper

Presentation
Learning Experience from 720MW Mangdechhu Project
-Construction of Adit-II and Associated works of HRT
By Chenga Penjor

1
 Overview

•Explains the cycles of Tunneling

Theoretical •Methodologies adopted

•Real life pictorial representation

Pictorial •Construction of Adit-II and HRT

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 Objective
• Basic concept of Hydropower
• Classes of Rock and its support system
• Get rid of Tunnel Phobia
• Accustomed with the Tunnel and appreciate the Nature

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Understanding Hydropower
Mangdechhu
Intake Tunnel
DC

Surge
Shaft

4
 Construction of Adit-II
• Background:
• Five Construction Adits for 13.541 Km of HRT
• Longest Adit with 652m in length (7m X 6.5m Ø)
• Collapse of old portal in August-2012
• Relocation of Portal (40m downstream) – September-2012
• Actual start of Portal Excavation: 28th October 2012
• Completion Date: 27th July 2013

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 Old Portal Collapse

BEFORE

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 Old Portal Collapse

AFTER

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Relocation of Adit-II

Portal Excavation

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 Relocation of Adit-II

New Portal
Old

40 m

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 Excavation Cycle
1. Surveying &
Profile
Marking

5. Rock Support 2. Drilling, Charging

System & Blasting

4. Mucking & 3. Defuming

Scaling
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 Rock Classification
-Bieniawski
Rock Mass Class Method of Excavation Rock Class

Very Good Rock Full Face Blast Class-I

RMR: 81-100 3 m advance
Good Rock Full Face Blast:
RMR: 61-80 1.0-1.5 m advance; Class-II
Complete support 20 m from face
Fair Rock Top heading and bench:
RMR: 41 - 60 1.5-3 m advance in top heading; Class-III
Commence support after each blast;
Commence support 10 m from face
Poor Rock Top heading and bench:
RMR: 21 - 40 – 1.5 m advance in top heading; Class-IV
Install support concurrently with excavation; 10 m
from face.
Very Poor Rock Multiple drifts:
RMR < 21 0.5 – 1.5 m advance in top heading; Class-V
Install support concurrently with excavation;
shotcrete as soon as possible after blasting
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 Adverse Geology at Adit-II
• No class Region
• RD 46.8 – 96.2m (50 m stretch, 23.12.2012 to 15.03.2013)
• Steel Ribs (ISMB 200 @ 1m c/c)
• 5m X 25m Ø Rock Bolts
• 32mm Ø Forepoling
• PFR shotcreting with wiremesh between Ribs
• Face Bolting with wiremesh
• Pressure Relief Holes
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 Methodology Adopted
-Multi Segmental Method
1. Each Section is carefully excavated using Excavator
2. Facebolting with 6m X 25 mm Ø along with
0.5x0.5x12mm bearing plate to stabilize the Face.
3. Supported with wiremesh and shotcrete.
4. The same procedure is repeated for every section.
5. Installation of Steel Ribs.
6. Fixing wiremesh between the Ribs
7. Shotcreting between the Ribs

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Fixing welded wiremesh

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Face Shotcreting

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 Highest Achievement from Single Face
Nos. of Blast Vs. Pull (m)
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14 13.5

12 11.2
Nos. of Blast & Pull (m)

10 9.5
8.6 8.6 8.6
7.8
7.4
8 7.4 Nos. of
6.4 7.4 7.1 Blast
7.5
6.4 Pull (m)
6 5.3
6 5 4.8
4.2 5 4.5 4.8 5
4 4.5 4
4 4 4 4 4
3 3
3 3 3 3 3
3 3
2 2 2 2
2 2
1 1
0

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 Head Race Tunnel
• Total Length of HRT: 13.541 km
• 6.5m Ø Horse shoe shaped
• Slope: 1 in 198.86 (0.503 %)
• Upstream: Face-III  1135 m
• Lowest cover => 68 m
ADIT-II
• Downstream: Face-IV  2318 m
• Highest Cover => 1008 m

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Rib Twisting

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 Rib Rectification
-Squeezing Zone
• Wherever the desired dimension of 3.4 m from the centerline to rib
flange is less than 3.4 m on both sides, remining was done on both sides
to achieve the desired section.
• Wherever the desired dimension of 3.4 m from the centerline to rib
flange is less than 3.4 m on one side and more than 3.4 m on the
opposite side, remining was avoided and centerline was adjusted to
achieve the desired section.
• Wherever the desired dimension of 3.4 m from the centerline to rib
flange is less on one side and exactly 3.4 m on the opposite side,
remining will be done on one side only.

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Remining

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 Change in Slope
INVERT
SL. No Original New Original
RD (m) New Slope Remarks
Elevation Elevation Slope

Change in Slope from RD 1133 – 1380m

1 1133 1698.84 1698.84

RD 1133-1380
1 in 198.86 1 in 141.79 New Slop 1 in 141.79
2 1380 1697.6 1697.10

Change in Slope from RD 1380 – 1520m

3 1380 1697.6 1697.10

RD 1380-1520
1 in 198.86 1 in 686.27
New Slope 1 in 686.27
4 1520 1696.89 1696.90
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Invert Reinforcement

Overt Reinforcement
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 Concrete Lining in HRT
6. Curing 1. Surveying

2. Kerb
5. Concreting
Concreting

4. Bulkhead 3. Shifting of
Fixing Gantry
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 Grouting in the Tunnel
- Between concrete lining and Rock surface
• Contact Grouting - 45mm Ø, 300mm into the Rock @ 3m c/c
• Throughout the Tunnel - 1-3 kg/cm2

- Class-IV & V Rock

• Consolidation Grouting - Lower class-III
- 5 m into the Rock @ 3m c/c
• Poor Rock Class/weak zone - 5-7 kg/cm2

• Curtain Grouting - 15 m into the Rock @ 3m c/c

- 5-7 kg/cm2
• Adit plug
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 Mass Cleaning of HRT
• 17th November 2018
• Led by Managing Director, whole
staff came together
• Removing Sludge, Gravel, Iron
piece, Cement Bags.
• Water jet flushing of HRT by
Security team

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Team HRT
26
Security Team 27
Plugging of Adit-II and Charging of HRT
• Plugging of Adit-II completed on 11th
February 2019.
• Charging of HRT on 23rd April 2019.
• Rectification of Seepage:
• Consolidation grouting beyond concrete
plug up to 10 m was carried out.
• Pressure: 3-5 kg/cm2
• Application of Penetron layers (dampness)

Plugged Adit-II
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 Cost of the Tunnel
SL. No Description Unit Amount/Qtty

1. Adit Construction
1 Total length of Adit-II m 652
2 Total expenditure Nu. 99,351,088.26
Cost of tunnel/m (7 m width X 6.5 m Ø, D-
3 Nu./m 152,378.97
Shaped)
1. HRT Construction
1 Total length of Face-IV m 2318
2 Total expenditure Nu. 571,941,145.68

3 Cost of tunnel/m (6.5 m Ø Horseshoe Shaped) Nu./m 246,739.06

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 Results and Application
• Highway Tunnel in Bhutan
• 1st Highway Tunnel along Tsirang-Wangdue (1.5 KM)
• Setting the realistic Targets in future Tunnel Excavation
• Helpful in Estimating the cost of the Tunnel
• Preparation of DPR in a more holistic manner
• Guides in combating with the challenges such as Poor Geology,
Squeezing zone, addressing the tunnel seepage, etc.

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